they need to quickly state the energy portfolio and decide on the use of nuclear energy in the first half of next year. >> reporter: people in japan are frustrated because they don't know where their country's energy policy is headed and what the future holds for nuclear power. they want clarity. prime minister abe's decision on this issue will face plenty of scrutiny and will be among the first of many tests for his administration. nhk world, tokyo. >>> china is building up its military presence in the asia pacific region. the question is how southeast asian countries will need with the neighbor's growing clout. we have details on different positions two countries are taking on china. >> nhk has obtained information that sheds light on the stances they are taking on china and we start with the philippines which is stationing marines on the spratly islands. nhk world reports. >> reporter: the philippines and china and malaysia and brunei claim sovereignty over all or some of the spratly's, high ranking military officers say their country has started to deploy marines in nine islands

and in fact, up until march of 2011, nuclear energy took a share of 29% out of all energy in japan. today, of course, most of those nuclear reactors are not in operation, nor are there plans to make new ones. so what is in the future for nuclear energy? >> yeah, in the short term, the nuclear -- all of the nuclear power is hit down until the spring, and sooner or later the -- most of the nuclear power is so aged, so the -- at the longest, in 40 years' time, all the nuclear will be shut down in japan. so we need alternative. get alternative power source. that is energy. >> aren't the arguments against renewable energy that it's expensive, and that it's unstable? >> compared to fuel and nuclear and energy, most of the generation is already cheaper, especially the oil has much expensive as like wind. the nuclear has a huge liability co cost, and also the waste disposal cost has almost unlimited. so compared to those, the uncertainty of the costs of nuclear energy much, much cheaper. and the instability is not actually the center of the issues because all the power mix can compensate th

this week the country is hosting a conference to discuss the future of the energy source. nhk world reports. >> there's now a recognition we have entered into the golden age of gas. >> reporter: the world gas conference kicked off this week. the event held every three years welcomes drilling companies and researchers from more than 80 countries around the world. a major theme is how countries can secure sufficient gas supplies. malaysia boasts a number of gas fields in adjacent waters which has allowed it to be a major exporter of gas to other asian countries. but malaysia has been facing serious gas shortages in recent years as its own booming economy pushes up domestic energy demand. this is the new facility constructed three kilometers off the shore of malaysia. this facility is not to plus produce natural gas but to import it. >> as we continue to grow and develop, the demand for energy, demand for electricity, and the demand for gas will increase. >> reporter: malaysia is not the only gas producing country facing a surge in domestic consumption. indonesia is another m

he's also meeting face to face with some opponents of atomic energy. no da sat down with ten citizens groups that oppose nuclear power generation, they criticize the government for reactivating two reactors in the ohi plant in central japan. they said researchers did not learn from the accident at fukushima daiichi and did not listen to citizens' opinions. they urged the prime minister to halt the reactors and scrap all of the country's nuclear plants. no da replied he approved the restart of the ohi facility after confirming its safety. he argued he made the decision for the sake of people's lives, not to benefit certain business groups. >> translator: our basic policy is to reduce our dependence on nuclear energy. in the medium to long-term, we are aiming to shift the nation's structure which relies on nuclear power. >> the citizens groups have been organizing anti-nuclear rallies near the prime minister's office every friday. former prime minister naoto kan helped them arrange their meeting. >>> experts studying the lessons of last year's disaster s

noda is also expected to promote cooperation in energy and other fields. he says he hopes this might lead to talks on the territorial dispute. >>> russian leaders are using the apec sumit to show their focus is now aimed at asia. one thing they can offer the region is substantial reserves of crude oil and natural gas. developing those reserves is helping russia develop its far east. nhk world's yusuke kitamura reports. >> reporter: the crude oil terminal was built three years ago on the outskirts of vladivostok. more than ten large oil tankers come through the port each month. last year, over 15 million tons of crude oil were exported from here to ten countries in the asia-pacific region, including japan, the united states and singapore. there are large oil deposits. most of the crude exported from the terminal originates in this area. during the soviet era, the oil fields of western siberia were the center of russia's oil production. however, after nearly 40 years of productivity, they will soon be depleted. to take their place, production has been steppe

. >> translator: iran has the right to enrich uranium and generate nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. >> the negotiators will meet again in moscow next month. >>> human rights activist chen guangcheng is savoring his freedom, but not forgetting the family he left behind in china when he sought refuge in the united states. nor is he giving up on his commitment to change. chen gave his first in-depth interview since he arrived in the u.s. last saturday. he's there on a one-year student visa after he escaped house arrest last month. he's demanding chinese authorities prosecute the officials who abused him and his family. >> translator: no matter how many people are involved, they must take responsibility for the abuse, because they violated the law. the government promised, and we are demanding they keep this promise. >> chen says keeping that promise would allow china to move toward the rule of law. he also expressed concern for his relatives, especially his nephew, who police arrested on murder charges. >> translator: my older brother escaped house arrest and came to beijing in search

and that's why government leaders are asking people to save energy. cabinet members set voluntary saving targets. they based their standards on electricity demand in 2010 when japan's summer was unusually hot. people living in the cities of osaka and kyoto are expecting to face the most serious short fall. kansai electric power serves the region. it relies heavily on nuclear energy. customers will be asked to reduce their usage by 15% or more. customers further south in kyushu will be asked to reduce their usage by at least 10%. utilities in neighboring areas will be urged to save 5% or more so energy can be diverted to kansai and kyushu. shikoku and hokkaido electric power companies will have reduction targets of at least 7%. cabinet ministers will review the standards if two reactors at kansai's ohi plant go back online. municipalities surrounding the facility are debating a government proposal to restart the units. >>> a liquefied natural gas project led by japanese companies has begun in australia. australian prime minister julia gillard and japan

a little bit of an energy squeeze there going on. we'll watch that sector carefully. >> another sector to watch carefully, the currency is a big focus here in tokyo. how and where do we stand on fx levels? >> currency is always playing into stock sentiment. let's look at the currency for the dollar/yen and euro/yen. 82 to 83. the yen is holding stronger there. the euro/yen 34 to 39. also, a little bit of a reflex reaction to weaker u.s. economic data. markets still, however, believe that the yen may continue to weaken. we may be seeing a short term yen buying. also, still to come, economic data out of the u.s. we are going to have gdp and consumer sentiment and consumer spending. the consumer is a sign of progress in the u.s. economy. we'll keep track of all that. back to you. >> thanks for that. that was from the tokyo stock exchange. >>> euro zone nations are planning to expand their rescue funds amid concerns about the region's debt crisis. a seen your eu official said the total amount of bail out money is 940 billion euros. itis

. >>> public support for nuclear energy in demonstrators held their latest post-fukushima protest aimed at pressuring the government to rally was 2011 disaster. >> reporter: they brave heat and humidity to come out in historic numbers. these protesters in tokyo are demand thousands of people are here to say no power. >> translator: nuclear power is too dangerous humans inred explosio is still otest after protest urging the government to stop using atomice and academy award winning musician. they told the crowd life and health are much more important than economic people came out today to lis their own government stop restarting nuclear plants and decommission them. things. when i think about my child and other children in fukushima, i cannot help butt shame for all japanese if another nuclear accident happens again. really angry. this is terrible politics that politicians play. >> reporter: government officials have before, busummer. however, prime minister yoshihiko noda is promising to reduce the cancerous dependence on atomic energy. just how much and how fast though is still up for

says governments do not define japan's energy portfolio. instead, use this to figure out the type of power they generate based on choices of consumers. several committee members criticize the way these scenarios are compiled. >> energy policy should include not just the snapshot on 2030 but also 2040, 2050. we have to draw out some options which show the long term vision of the energy policy, that we should make more qualitative options. what kind of policy do we have to change, what kind of new technology we have to develop. >> he and other committee members say the debate's current framework is warped. for example, two members could oppose the policy of nuclear energy of 20% in 2030, but after that, one of them might expect a gradual reduction to zero, while the other could push to maintain or even increase the proportion in the long term. they say instead of focusing on simple figures, the committee should discuss broader issues that will shape the future of japanese society. >>> people in japan's northeast are focused on overcoming chal

could one day help solve pakistan's chronic energy situation. but for today people have little choice but to carry on waiting for things to improve. nhk world, islamabad. >>> and that wraps up our bulletin for today. i'm cholaphansa narula in bangkok. >>> major storms have been hitting the u.s. midwest. rachel ferguson joins us with the world weather forecast. >> thank you. yes, some of those storms have just wreaked absolute destruction and i want to go to video to show you what the scene was like in illinois. on wednesday morning. this is harrisburg. the tornado ripped through at around 5:00 a.m. just causing absolute devastation as you can see here. cars, homes, stores as well. just completely torn apart. not only that, not only the structural damage, but unfortunately at least nine people have been reported dead from that storm. and also unfortunately i must say we are not going to see the end of this storm from that system just yet. if we take a look at our weather map, you can see, this is low to the north and then along the front is where

and also reliance on overseas energy. and touching on energy, iran's move really to let the international agency back in helped pushed crude oil prices lower. as you said earlier just below $90 a barrel. growth concerns in europe and china also really another reason for lower oil, crude oil prices. the dollar, of course, gaining on the back of the drop in oil prices and just having a look at some of the pair there's. looking at the dollar/en, 79.47. the euro under 100, currently 99 policy 99.81-88. >> when it rains it pours. anything on the positive side to cheer investors? >> little bit of positive which hit the markets yesterday. in the auto sector, mazda's tie up with italy's fiat, mazda shares up 5% at one point yesterday. we'll keep track of that. after hours hewlett-packard the stock was pushed up 11% in after hours trading. we'll look out for related sh s shares. >>> thanks a lot for that update. now here in japan, modest moves but also in other asian markets that are open this hour so i'll leave you with the lates

maybe you have some energy- saving appliances, like an energy star-rated washer and dryer. but what about your tv? chances are it's on more than your washer, dryer, and kitchen appliances combined. did you know that if half of us in the u.s. replaced our regular tvs with an energy star model, the change would be like shutting down a power plant? you can find the energy star on everything from standard to high def to the largest flat-screen your heart desires. ow that makes sense.

but in these post fukushima daiichi days the government is encouraging people to save energy. some are looking to the past for inspiration or picking up on a new age trend. >> reporter: akiko suzuki has been living in a river front home for 60 years. it didn't come with an air conditioner or a fan. but her summers have always been quite cool. >> translator: i haven't turned on the ac once this year because i haven't felt the need to do so. >> reporter: suzuki instead uses simple seasonal japanese methods to keep her home at a comfortable temperature. she plants morning glory flowers outside her window and hangs bamboo blinds which create shade without blocking the breeze. more than 70% of a home's heat comes through the windows. suzuki's blinds and plants block almost half of that. suzuki also grows greenery at the entrance of her home. but she doesn't just water the plants, she also pours water straight on to the ground. the japanese cooling method dates back hundreds of years. she says everything makes a difference. >> translator: it lowers the temperature two to three degre

there's no doubt the energy sector hold the keys to iraq's reconstruction and the world energy supply. >> that's the latest in business headlines for this hour. here is a look at markets in the region. >>> they've told u.s. agencies that have exthe ended. the rocket will be carrying a satellite into orbit. the real goal is to test the long range missile technology. north korea's committee of space technology said engineers found a technical problem with the first stage of the three stage rocket. the committee announced it will extend the period for launching by one week. north korea said it will launch the rocket between december 6th and the 22nd. the international maritime organization, and the international telecommunication union said they were told of the extension on monday. the maritime and aviation bodies use it for flight trajection. they have not provided information about a satellite's frequency or orbit. the international community should take serious action against north korea if it goes ahead with the law firm. north korea domestic media have not reported the plan to laun

some 350 workers practiced restoring energy in the event the generators broke down. onagawa workers also practiced injecting water into reactors using special vehicles introduced last march. >>> children who experienced the earthquake and tsunami last year have been creating craft work with debris from the disaster. a special exhibition of the work was held in italy. what sort of feelings are the children putting in their work? nhk world's michelle yamamoto reports. >> reporter: this is an exhibition of craft work by children who survived last year's march disaster. they're unique. every item on display has a face, and it's very charming. all these one-of-a-kind items are made of wreckage from the disaster that's been dug out piece by piece, washed away driftwood, kitchen tools, buckets, have all been given new life. look over there, another funny face, but in fact, it used to be a sandal. these are all the work of children who survived the disaster. they're full of humor, which makes visitors smile. >> translator: it's amazing that every work has a smiling face. >>

so are plans for energy. in september, the government mapped out new energy measures. they included the termination of nuclear power generation by the 2030s. the government was also planning to come up by year end with a framework for introducing renewable and other forms of alternative energy. final decisions on these matters are made at meetings of the national policy minister, the economy, trade, and industry minister, and other cabinet officials. but it's now unclear whether such meetings will be held by the end of the year. in addition, debate on the country's comprehensive basic energy plan has been shelved. the plan was expected to address future electricity needs. >>> senior diplomats from japan and north korea have wrapped up a round of talks in mongolia. they discussed a number of outstanding issues, including the abduction of japanese nationals during the 1970s and '80s. delegates from japan and north korea ended a two-day meeting friday in mongolia's capital, ulan bator. one of the main items on their agenda was tokyo's request to solve the abductions issue

. >>> nuclear industry officials from around the world have gathered in seoul to discuss atomic energy safety. global leaders are also scheduled to meet next week at the nuclear security summit in south korea. nhk world's kim dae-young has more. >> reporter: some 203 representatives took part in the nuclear industry summit on friday. they exchanged views on how to make nuclear energy safer based on lessons from last year's accident at the fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant in japan. one participant said public trust in nuclear energy can be restored if they share lessons learned from the accident and learn from them. another said sharing information on nuclear technology is difficult. because it often contains confidential data. but he argued that cooperation between private companies as well as governments needs to be sanctioned. the participants issued a joint statement that said the nuclear industry will get more actively involved in global information share and discussions through organizations such as the international atomic energy agency. several countries have scrapped nucle

the government unit that promoted nuclear energy, but critics are already finding loopholes in this. >> what challenges will the nra be facing over the coming months? >> there's a long list. without doubt, the most important and immediate challenge is redefining nuclear safety regulations. new standards will have to take into account the latest findings and technological advances to make sure nuclear plants can withstand natural disasters and major accidents. once the nra sets its standards, it will conduct a case-by-case review of all of japan's nuclear reactors to determine which can be brought back online. the nra plans to come up with new criteria by july of next year. one concern experts must address is the issue of seismic fault lines below some of the plants. the nra will conduct its own inspections to assess any risks such faults pose to nuclear safety. >> is the strengthening of human resource also a priority for the agency? >> the diet panel investigating the nuclear accident said that the level of knowledge was among regulators was insufficient. the nra will have to intens

and if you're buying, choose an energy-efficient fan. now that makes sense. >> "california's gold" is prod

the people in japan are still looking to talk about the future of nuclear energy. civic groups have been organizing open debates. >> translator: personally i want japan to use as little nuclear power as possible. >> translator: there should be various points of discussion. but we feel the government has been failing to provide appropriate information. distrust of its activities is growing. >> translator: skepticism is growing too. people wonder how the government will reflect public opinion and the new energy policy. one official admits it will be challenging. >> translator: it's difficult to see which kind of opinion is more important. opinions expressed at the hearings or results of opinion polls. >> reporter: the organizer of this debate says citizens want the entire process to be open and understandable. >> some people are criticizing this process as making just excuse. they have to explain to the people how they pick up this scenario. and how they can address people's concerns. so i think in that sense, transparency is the key. >> reporter: the japanese govern

protective policies in the energy and agricultural sectors were among the factors that prolonged its entry. >>> executives in japan hope russia's membership will provide them with some new business opportunities. they hope to boost car exports and investments. automobiles account for about 60% of japanese exports to russia. but the russian government raised tariffs on imported vehicles three years ago when car exports dropped because of the global financial crisis. now government officials promise they'll lower import duties on used cars from 35% to 20% by 2019. they say they'll cut tariffs on new passenger cars immediately from 30% to 25% and they'll cut further to 15% in the next seven years. government officials say they'll ease restrictions on foreign companies' stakes in russian firms but a japanese expert fears russian officials might not honor their obl guyss. >> if russia breaks the promise, japan and other wto members need to urge it to keep its pledge to lower import tariffs. >> he says russian officials could change course if state revenues fall or if membership in the wto

. >> translator: iran has the right to enrich uranium and generate nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. >> negotiators are trying to find a way to reduce tensions in the persian gulf. but they remain far apart on several key issues, including the inspections of some facilities. >>> tokyo stock investors don't know what positions to take thp pethe strong yen and urn certainty in europe are keeping them on the sidelines. the nikkei has just opened this friday. ai uchida joins us now. >> to add to the lack of direction, overnight in new york stocks ended in a mixed picture. the dow jones average turned higher in late trading while some losses in high-tech issues held the nasdaq lower. so let's see how stocks are trading here in tokyo this friday morning. for that we're going to go to ramin mellegard. good morning to you. happy friday. there some are mixed signals from europe as well as the u.s. how are tokyo stocks starting off this morning? >> very good morning, ai. yes, indeed. confusing signals all around, really, and from the eu officials saying that they want greece to stay in the eu

he was shown around by iran's atomic energy agency chief. the president said he understand that uranium is for peaceful purposes. the facility is the largest uranium enrichment plant. politicians are keen to work closely with mongolian leaders because of country's abundance of uranium. the army can use enriched uranium for nuclear bombs and threatened to attack the site. u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton urged caution on iran's nuclear development. >> we share the common position that iran has a right to the use of peaceful nuclear energy. but iran must abide by its international obligations. >> she said iranian leaders cannot be permitted to get a nuclear weapon. >>> and that's all for this edition of "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. do stay with us. we'll be back with more of your update at the top of the hour. Ñx

this time a lack of energy drove the decision. and with electricity demand expected to skyrocket this summer, japanese are being asked to do their part and dress down. nhk world reports. >> reporter: people here in tokyo's largest business district are dressing a lot more casual these days than compared to ten years ago. that's because of the campaign spearheaded by the government. workers are shedding their jackets and ties, trying to stay comfortable so their offices can save on air conditioning. >> translator: i've seen people in southeast asia are working with no ties and no jackets. japanese have been too conservative until now. >> reporter: but now japan needs to conserve energy. its nuclear network is off line. engineers shut down the last of the country's 50 reactors at the beginning of may for inspection. government leaders ask the nation's seven utility companies to set summer power reduction targets between 5% and 15%. they are also urging businesses and homeowners to cut down on their electricity use. the super cool bi

the government has promised to draft a new energy policy. ministers are working on scenarios for ending nuclear dependence while compensating for lost power generation. >>> the prospect of a new, or a nonnuclear japan is proving to be a hard sell to big business. an executives association issued a challenge to the government. >> translator: the government must explain and prove how there will be no downside for business and people's daily lives in all nuclear reactors are scrapped in future. this should be confirmed with concrete evidence and analysis. >> he stressed that many businesses are opposed to abolishing nuclear power out of concern it would destabilize the economy. >>> government officials have released their blueprint for rebuilding areas at the heart of the nuclear debate. they want to decontaminate and restore lifelines in parts of evacuation zones around fukushima daiichi within two years. reconstruction minister hirano released the plan. it covers sections of the zones where evacuation orders have been lifted. government offic

yoshihiko noda unveiled his long-awaited energy policy. it calls for the country to phase out nuclear power in the coming decades. the plan reflects the feelings of many japanese following last year's accident at the fukushima plant. but big business says the policy is problematic. nhk world's chia yamagishi has the details. >> reporter: government ministers have spent months talking to each other, to experts, and to the public to figure out the role nuclear power should play in japan. in the end, prime minister yoshihiko noda's administration has decided to work towards a nuclear-free society. >> translator: step by step we've come to face difficult challenges. but we can no longer afford to postpone a solution. >> reporter: the new energy policy calls for japan to be nuclear free as soon as possible. but it suggests 2030 as a target. it has three basic principles. first, limit the operation of nuclear reactors to 40 years. second, stop building nuclear plants. and third, only restart reactors regulatory authorities confirm are safe. japa

. >>> japanese minister has presented the country's new energy policy to the atomic agency. the goal to reach zero reliance. >> translator: japan will increase its use of green energy. >> he hinted at flexibility over the schedule saying the road to zero reliance may not be a straight one. in a separate meeting japanese officials told the iea about a new regulatory body. it will be independent from the industry ministry which overseas the current regulator. the new body will be launched on wednesday. >>> foreign and defense officials from japan and the u.s. are discussing flight restrictions for the osprey military plane. there's concern about the u.s. aircraft being deployed. it's been involved in accidents overseas. sources say the officials are debating how much to limit midnight and early morning flights. they are reportedly close to an agreement. the pilots will use simulators to train for night flights as much as possible. they are expected to agree that it will only fly in close formation over u.s. training sites. the sources say both governments hope to finalize the

the fund specializes in renewable energy projects. it saw a surge of inquiries following the fukushima nuclear accident in march. >> translator: it was as if everyone began seeing the energy problem on their own, and investments on this grew triple the pays as before the disaster. >> of the $40 million he needs for the project, 3.8 million comes from state subsidies. succeeded securing the rest of it through the fund, from more than 500 ordinary citizens. when the business gets going, they can expect a yield of 3 to 7%. >> translator: the money carries the sentiments of various people that invested in our project, so we must work hard to live up to their expectations. >> this man lives near the plant and is one of the investors. he grows rice and vegetables using water from the japan alps. he invested about $6400. he has high hopes for the plant's launch. >> if small hydro power plants are built in more villages and towns, they could together generate as much power as conventional large scale plants. >> the investors are spread all ov

also a lot of japanese companies trying to engage in more energy-related tie-ups as well. let's have a quick look at currency levels as well. yen currently still relatively strong against the dollar and the euro. >> and, ramine, while global investors are maintaining focus on the debt woes in europe, u.s. figures, they're still in the frame as well, right? >> yeah. adp jobs data on thursday and then the main jobs data on friday. before that home price index to deal with. quite a bit of economic data. but looks like the eurozone really the big focus for now. back to you. >> thanks a lot for that update. now, as he just mentioned, japan's unemployment rate rose in april. the internal affairs ministry said the seasonally adjusted jobless rate is 4.6%. a rise of .1% from march. the number of people without jobs was over 3 million while those in employment numbered just about 63 million. meanwhile, job availability in japan rose for the eleventh month in a row in april. the labor ministry says there were 79 positions for each 100 job seekers last month. the ministry attributes

enrichment immediately and they'll push the regime to accept inspectors from the international atomic energy agency. >>> a japanese government official held talks with pro democracy leader aung san suu kyi and expressed his government's interest to cooperate in myanmar's development projects. yukio edano expressed japan's policy for development in myanmar during a meeting in yangon on thursday. >> translator: japan plans to help stabilize your country's economy and improve the standard of living. >> edano explained that japan is ready to help revamp myanmar's electrical and water systems in tandem with its movement toward democratization. aung san suu kyi commented that the interests of ethnic minorities should be taken into account when developing the local economy. >>> investors in europe cheered the latest debt auctions from italy and spain. ai uchida has the latest. >> strong demand in the european markets on thursday. yields of italian and spanish government bonds fell following their successful auctions, spain sold twice its original target. the yield for italy's ten-year bond fell to

we're going to continue to keep an eye out for energy related stocks as well. we did see wti, crude oil prices dropping a touch. let's not forget after it rose around 4% yesterday. so continued volatility there. and we'll keep an eye on crude futures as well. now, let's have a look at currency levels. of course plays a big part in how stocks trade. and currently the yen actually dollar/yen 79.89-92. >> we've been talking about automakers this morning. and you mention auto sales. what's expected there? >> a lot of focus on the auto industry. especially after the march 11th disaster last year and a lot of domestic sales figures economists are looking at. also signeds of a rebound especially after u.s. sales showed a strong rebound for the likes of toyota which indicated that sales were up 60%. honda said sales were up 40%. and nissan up 28%. a focus there also on those auto sales figures later today. t of course the ecb meeting coming up later today will also be a major focus for investors. back to you. >> all right. thanks a lot for that update. ramin mellegard

shi wanted to demonstrate the unique energy of chinese opera. the story draws to a close. the leading actor dances with the body of the young woman, who is dead. european dance inspired the choreographer to create this scene. the young audience loved it. >> translator: i used to think opera was boring, but the plot intrigued me and the performance was excellent. >> translator: it was terrific. >> translator: it's important to preserve the tradition, and at the same time create something new. i feel i'm gradually learning what art is all about, and how we should present it on the stage. i'll devote myself to improving chinese opera, and cherish it as a gift from heaven. >> reporter: shi feels that young people crave for something that touches their heart. she has embarked on the quest of reshaping a tradition. but at the same time she manages to preserve it. nhk world, shanghai. >>> a powerful typhoon has struck japan, leaving one person dead, and more than 50 injured. >> hi there. typhoon guchol is situated by tohoku. gusts could exceed 120 kilometers per hour today and wa

softbank says it will build four solar energy plants as it branches into renewable energy ventures. construction of two plants starts next month. one plant is in kyoto, western japan. the other is gunma, near tokyo. the company aims to start operations in july and then sell the energy to power companies. softbank says its station in kyoto will generate enough electricity to support 1,000 households annually. the gunma facility will be able to power 640 households. the schedule to build two other plants in toke oshima prefecture in western japan is not yet decided. it's expected those facilities together will be able to power over 1500 households. >>> and share prices are actually in the negative now here in tokyo this tuesday morning. the nikkei now in the negative by but less than 1 point at 9697. the broader topix also in the negative at 832. earlier markets were up. market sources say investors were buying shares after the overnight release of better than expected u.s. economic data. however, some institutional investors are selling to lock in profits. >>> and taking a look at cu

maybe you have some energy- saving appliances, like an energy star-rated washer and dryer. but what about your tv? chances are it's on more than your washer, dryer, and kitchen appliances combined.

he noted that the nux lar development is overseen by the international atomic energy agency. they say it could be used for military purposes. do stay with us. 5

it's a relatively clean source of energy that emits little carbon die yox idea. the indonesian government is offering incentives to encourage investment. the deal includes a guarantee to buy electricity at a fixed price for 30 years. and more trading firms are expected to launch geothermal projects in indonesia over the coming years. the pakistani taliban has claimed responsibility for the murder of a chinese woman in pakistan earlier this week. the militant groups saying her killing was revenge for a crackdown on muslims in an area of western china. we have the report from islamabad. >> reporter: the chinese woman was killed on tuesday by a gunman on a motor bike. she was walking with a pakistani man in the northwestern city of pescawar. the pakistani taliban is the biggest islamist extremist group in the country. a spokesperson for the group told nhk that it was responsible. local police could not verify that, but they suspect islamist extremists are to blame. the pakistani taliban spokesperson also told nhk that the group would continue to target chinese under

they want to end the dependence on nuclear power and eventually switch entirely to renewable energy. >> translator: the project will be a big step fward for our reconstruction. and it will serve as encouragement to residents. >> 15 months after last year's earthquake and tsunami, many people have yet to locate and identify the bodies of missing family members. to help people in miyagi prefecture, local police have put their sketch artists on the job. >> a man with a peaceful expression. a woman with gentle eyes. these are drawings of unidentified people killed in the disaster. police specialists drew them, trying to capture how the subjects looked when they were alive. the department of missing persons in miyagi prefecture provided the images. to make identifications, police rely on the subject's physical characteristics, their belongings and their dna. but over 190 bodies are still unidentified in miyagi prefecture. over one year after the disaster, police say it's harder to get more information to help them identify bodies. so at the end of may, the police officers posted the liken

. >> translator: thanks to everyone's help, i got my dream and energy back. i could not have done this on my own. >> translator: communication depends on people getting around. then business starts to flow. as people communicate with each other, the energy builds, and the area is revitalized. >> reporter: the omnibus gradually connects people and shattered communities, taking back what the disaster took away. nhk world, ishinomaki. >>> an earthquake that jolted a nation, a tsunami that swallowed a coastline, a nuclear plant that spiraled out of control. japan marks the first anniversary of the march 11th disaster. what lessons have been learned? find out on our special program "lessons of march 11th, one year on." sunday, 2:00 p.m. japan time, only on nhk world. >>> south korean military leaders are threatening they'll get their revenge from any attack from the north. defense minister made the warning while inspecting a military unit on yeonpyeong island. it sits along a disputed border in the yellow sea. north korean forces shelled the island in 2010, killin

the country relies on imports for most of its energy. jordan has long harbored ambitions of owning nuclear reactors as a means of boosting power self-sufficiency. the plan gained momentum with the discovery there four years ago of huge deposits of uranium. which can be used to make nuclear fuel. the yellow iish area contains uranium ore. firms are offering to help jordan achieve its nuclear dreams. among them japan has received praise from jordan for its technology. >> it has been more or less shaken confidence and our confidence or distrust in the japanese technology. on the contrary, that we will learn from the best lessons. >> reporter: meanwhile, concerns have begun to spread among residents near the planned construction site in the north of the country. in june last year about 500 people took part in the rally against the nuclear plant. some even confronted diplomats from japanese embassy who were surveying the site. we asked one of the rally organizers to show us the site. he says he's worried there won't be enough water to cool th

india is one of many emerging economies looking to nuclear power to meet its growing energy needs. the disaster at fukushima daiichi gave new purpose to the anti-nuclear movement in india. environmental organization greenpeace said it invited the 25-year-old woman from fukushima city to india. she was due to speak at an event marking the anniversary of the nuclear disaster at the fukushima daiichi power plant. the woman is active in a civic group trying to protect children from radiation exposure. the indian embassy in japan said earlier this month that the woman's visa had been revoked. in india operation of a just completed nuclear power plant had to be delayed amid public protests. india last month also deported a german man accused of taking part in anti-nuclear campaigns. the government seems to be increasingly nervous about the anti-nuclear movement that tries to secure its energy supply. in myanmar, democratization and reforms are exciting many foreign businesses. they think of the country as the last frontier in southeast asia. companies from japan are no exception. dozens

companies compensated by shifting to thermal energy, but there were concerns about a shortfall so the government asked businesses and households to conserve energy. >> translator: i didn't use air conditioning last summer, so i'm not worried about this year. >> conservation proved effective, but manufacturers had to make a lot of adjustments to their schedule to save power. >> translator: blackouts are crucial issues for our business. we cannot let them happen. >> they now need to import more fossil fuels to run thermal plants. they are planning to raise electricity rates. the government has estimated japan could face an energy shortage of around 9% this summer if it gets hot and if all reactors remain offline. the fukushima accident prompted the government to order extra safety tests for reactors that go offline for maintenance. these so-called stress tests are supposed to gauge how reactors could withstand external events, such as earthquakes and tsunami. they have submitted the results to japan's nuclear safety authorities and an expert panel. if those results are proved, then it's

leaders of the main political parties debated the future of nuclear power and the country's energy mix. prime minister yoshihiko noda presented the position of the ruling democratic party. he pledged to aim for a shutdown of all nuclear plants by the end of the 2030s. >> translator: i believe that after last year's nuclear accident the public is determined to get rid of nuclear power and to shut down the plants. we need to promote realistic policies that respond to these expectations. >> one of noda's main opponents, liberal democratic party leader shinzo abe, said nuclear power should not be a matter of black or white. >> translator: after experiencing such a severe nuclear accident, we've all decided that japan should depend on nuclear power as little as possible. but the ldp's position is not to simply say let's go nuclear-free. that's because we're a responsible party. >> abe said the real issue is how to secure enough electricity. he added it would be unreasonable to rely on renewable energy sources as they have yet to be fully developed. the leader of the newly formed tomorrow pa

they've also debated the future use of atomic energy. now there are concerns about the by-product of the nuclear process, highly radioactive waste. nhk has learned top scientist its are going to urge the government to rethink its final disposal plan for this waste. we've obtained a draft proposal by the science council. the government says there are approximately 235,000 containers filled with highly radioactive waste. each one is about a meter long and almost half a meter wide and they weigh half a ton. utilities store them in stainless steel containers. the nuclear waste inside is vitrified liquid so it's esebially solid. because of its dangerous nature it needs to be stored away from people and the environment. the government decided on its final disposal plan 12 years ago. crews would bury the waste deeper than 300 meters underground for tens of thousands of years. but members of the council are questioning that idea. their draft proposal says science has its limits and japan's frequent earthquakes and active volcanos make it difficu

i mean, we have to find other ways of generating energy because there are so many dangers linked between us. >> reporter: a student from a developing country had a different view. >> i think the nuclear energy plan needs to rest. you also need to be a good management of the waste of the nuclear safety. >> i want the students to make use of what they have learned here today and to be aware of how dangerous radiotivity is. i also hope they can see us after we have rebuilt our country and our smiles have returned. >> reporter: the visiting students were discuss the message of reconstruction with japanese students and they will give reports to their schools back in their home countries. reporting for nhk world in soma city, fukushima prefecture. >>> the united states and south korea will now get cheaper products from each other. a free trade agreement went into effect on thursday eliminating tariffs on most of the exports. the deal will remove tariffs on 94% of south korea items to the united states over the next five years. south korea says it expects the fta will boost the gross domestic p

that energy will hit the mid-mediterranean as thunderstorms are unstable and nothing too severe. a few snow showers popping up for the peninsula, but heavy rain over the states today. temperatures are very warm across the east. we are looking at thepper teens in moscow and 20 in kiev and 25 in the southeast in athens. further out towards the west, 12 in london and 13 in paris. i will leave you now with the extend forecast. >>>> here our top stories again. north korea's military threatiened to reduce targets to ashes. they will launch special actions for grave insults to the new leadership. >>> the military supreme command issued the threat and accuses south korean president of disrespecting north korea. the statement gave no details of the insult or the planned action. north korea's military criticized a group last week for destroying a photo of kim jung un. they staged a rally to protest against their counterparts in seoul. south korean military analysts say there is no evidence of unusual action in the north. still government leaders are concerned. they maintain officials are d

this system can choose the cheapest available energy. this includes solar and electricity stored at night. the system can also source power from batteries even during electrical outages caused by lightning or tornados. >> translator: i hope we can work together with the united states, the leading country in this field to prove the stability of the system. >> the experiment will continue for another year-and-a-half. >>> canada's natural resources minister says his country will promote sales of liquefied natural gas to japan. joe oliver said in tokyo tuesday that canada will likely start natural gas exports to asia as early as in 2014. >> for japan they need a safe, reliable source of liquefied natural gas for decades to come. >> command for lng has been growing since the fukushima nuclear accident last year. almost all reactors in the country still remain offline creating potential needs for other sources of energy. canada is the world's third largest producer of natural gas. the country has been exporting its gas mainly to the united sta

the government's future energy policy will be based on three principles. limiting the operation of any nuclear plant to 40 years. the resumption of operations of plants to only those confirmed to be safe by the nuclear regulatory panel. and no building of new reactors. the draft also says reprocessing plants for spent nuclear fuel in northern japan will continue to operate. it adds that the government will find a location for the final disposal of nuclear waste. >>> subcontractors at the stricken fukushima daiichi nuclear plant are struggling to get regular medical checkups. the health ministry halted subsidies for the checkups last december. that's when the government declared that the plant's reactors had been stabilized. during the depths of the crisis, the ministry designated the fight to bring the reactors under control as emergency work. it said plant workers were at risk from high levels of radiation. a subsidy program for subcontractors was set up to pay for the checkups. the december declaration removed the emergency designation. that disqualified

by getting energy products from elsewhere in the gulf region. and then all the insurance and re-insurance questions come up as you mentioned earlier as well. so we're going to keep watch of that sector there. and specifically stocks like cosmo oil and nippon oil and other energy-related stocks. that's going to be a big story. the currency markets, as i said we're seeing a bit of shift into the yen. although not a massive move after the housing data in the u.s. and some growth concerns in china. and also following the trade surplus numbers we just had before the markts open here today. but you can see there euro/yen 110.09-14. dollar/yen 83.28-33. also commodity backed currencies such as the australian dollar have seen some assets shift out of those and into the dollar and the yen. and also following last month's bank of japan inflation goal which investors say may still keep the yen on a somewhat weakening trend. we'll keep track of that throughout the day. >> and ramin, more data expected out of the united states later today. >> yeah. definitel